A little HistoryA little History

Psychology 3717Psychology 3717

History is almost the coolest History is almost the coolest discipline arounddiscipline around

Well besides psychology….Well besides psychology….1919thth century centuryWilhelm WundtWilhelm WundtDidn’t really study memoryDidn’t really study memoryBut he started experimental psychologyBut he started experimental psychologySensation / perceptionSensation / perceptionElemental processesElemental processes

EbbinghausEbbinghaus

Well, these were all Well, these were all great ideas, but had great ideas, but had not been tested.not been tested.

Cue Hermann Cue Hermann EbbinghausEbbinghaus

Strangely, both the Strangely, both the behaviourists and the behaviourists and the cognitive types claim cognitive types claim him as their ownhim as their own

Nonsense syllablesNonsense syllables

EbbinghausEbbinghaus

Studied himselfStudied himselfFound savingsFound savingsRepetition was keyRepetition was keyClassic forgetting curveClassic forgetting curveContiguityContiguityReversal was detrimental, so it was not Reversal was detrimental, so it was not

just contiguity but also contingencyjust contiguity but also contingency

More on ebbyMore on ebby

Also found interferenceAlso found interferenceFound the magic 7Found the magic 7Figured out that chunking would happenFigured out that chunking would happenMassed vs. distributed practiceMassed vs. distributed practiceNot bad for a career eh!Not bad for a career eh!But some dispute his importanceBut some dispute his importanceThey are idiots….They are idiots….

William JamesWilliam James

Stream of consciousnessStream of consciousnessThought is personalThought is personalThought is changingThought is changingThought is continuousThought is continuousThought deals with objects independent of Thought deals with objects independent of

itselfitself It is interested in some things and not It is interested in some things and not

othersothers

Bill was smartBill was smart

Talked about primary and secondary Talked about primary and secondary memorymemory

Talked about memory without awarenessTalked about memory without awarenessGot lots of stuff wrong but again, not bad Got lots of stuff wrong but again, not bad

eheh

Alfred BinetAlfred Binet

Developed the first real intelligence testDeveloped the first real intelligence testWas interested in application in a Was interested in application in a

classroom context so he used more classroom context so he used more naturalistic stimulinaturalistic stimuli

Free recallFree recallFound serial position effectFound serial position effectLooked at errors, early, acoustic, later, Looked at errors, early, acoustic, later,

semanticsemantic

Another smarty pantsAnother smarty pants

Found the importance effect with prose Found the importance effect with prose memorymemory

Found that phrases remembered better Found that phrases remembered better than single wordsthan single words

First to find the importance of gistFirst to find the importance of gistSee again, not so bad ehSee again, not so bad eh

Early 20Early 20thth century century

The eclipse of cognition (at least in North The eclipse of cognition (at least in North America)America)

Introspection if fine done Wundt’s wayIntrospection if fine done Wundt’s wayTrained observersTrained observersVery simple eventsVery simple eventsPeople working with Titchener too it too farPeople working with Titchener too it too farYou can’t prove or disprove data from my You can’t prove or disprove data from my

introspections, you are not meintrospections, you are not me

BehaviourismBehaviourism

WatsonWatson Interested only in the observableInterested only in the observableConsciousness cannot be observedConsciousness cannot be observedThen, neither can memoryThen, neither can memoryS-RS-RBasically became all of what psychology Basically became all of what psychology

was for a long time, well into the 1950swas for a long time, well into the 1950s

Some resistedSome resisted

The Gestalt psychologistsThe Gestalt psychologistsDidn’t like the reductionism of the Didn’t like the reductionism of the

behaviouristsbehaviouristsBartlett was a Brit that fought the good Bartlett was a Brit that fought the good

fightfightTalked about constructionTalked about construction

Cognitive RevolutionCognitive Revolution

Psychology started started to outgrow Psychology started started to outgrow behaviourismbehaviourism

Personality (style)Personality (style)Motivation (dissonance)Motivation (dissonance)LinguisticsLinguistics Information theoryInformation theory

The revolutionaries become the The revolutionaries become the establishmentestablishment

Atkinson Shiffrin Atkinson Shiffrin modelmodel

Brenda Milner and Brenda Milner and HMHM

So there was a model So there was a model and there was and there was physiological physiological evidence too, pretty evidence too, pretty much all sewn upmuch all sewn up

TodayToday By the 1970s memory was studied all over the worldBy the 1970s memory was studied all over the world TulvingTulving CraikCraik LockhartLockhart SlameckaSlamecka MacLeodMacLeod MoscovitzMoscovitz SchacterSchacter JacobyJacoby RoedigerRoediger SquireSquire LoftusLoftus